60: Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Weight Loss: Does It Work?

You've heard me say it before: perimenopause and midlife can feel like an uphill battle. You're juggling a career, a family, and all the stress that comes with it, and it feels like your body is just not on your team.

You're tired, you're bloated, and the number on the scale just keeps creeping up no matter what you do.

I used to think eating "healthy" was enough. I was eating salads, whole grain bread, and oatmeal, and still, my body was sending up a million smoke signals—brain fog, sore joints, and stubborn weight gain. My body was screaming, but I was ignoring it. 

An anti-inflammatory diet was the game changer for me. It’s what helped me finally lose the weight and feel amazing again, and it's what I believe every single woman over 35 needs to be doing.

It's not about being on a "diet." It's a way of eating, a lifestyle. 

An anti-inflammatory diet works to both lower and not add to inflammation by cutting out foods that cause it, and eating more of the good stuff.

In this episode you'll discover:

📍What's REALLY going on with your body: why inflammation happens in perimenopause, how your body sends you signs when it's struggling, and how to spot them so you can address the root cause of your weight gain and fatigue.

📍 A roadmap for how to start, so it feels approachable and not overwhelming.

📍 Solutions for your real life, so you never feel deprived and can keep up with your family’s meals and schedule.

📍 The magical side effect: While not specifically designed for weight loss, find out why an anti-inflammatory diet is THE secret to shedding that stubborn midlife pounds.

Plus, you'll learn why my anti-inflammatory diet includes dark chocolate—because life is too short to give up on the good stuff. You deserve to feel amazing every day.

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Transcript

Welcome back to the Family Fork. So you have no doubt heard of the term anti-inflammatory diet, but you might be curious, what does that actually mean? And the question I hear the most is, can it really help me to lose weight and have more energy?

The good news is that yes, it can. It is designed to help you to be healthier and a nice outcome is that you can also lose weight. But really there's more to it than that. So in today's episode, I wanna take a really deep dive into anti-inflammatory nutrition and the diet, what it is and what it's not.

And we'll talk about some solutions for getting started really easily because if it is not easy, you're not going to be able to stick with it.

Now, this is a little bit more of a nerdy episode. I think you're wanna take some notes because anti-inflammatory nutrition should really be the foundation of everything that you eat. So I really want to be sure that you understand what it is, okay?

So I will loudly proclaim that I believe every woman over the age of 35 should be eating an anti-inflammatory diet. And really that's why all of my programs, my private coaching, my membership, it all includes this way of eating.

When you are a mom and you're balancing the stress of managing your career and raising your family, and you're probably shuttling kids to games and practices, and then if you're like me, you're also taking care of aging parents too. So when you have all of this going on, life can feel so overwhelming. But simply changing up the foods that you eat can...

really help to support your busy schedule and your busy life. Plus, if you struggle with other health issues, like maybe you have thyroid issues, and I am sure that you're navigating your way through perimenopause right now, maybe you're even struggling to lose weight at all. An anti-inflammatory diet is the fastest and easiest way to improve your health from head to toe.

So let's take a closer look at what anti-inflammatory nutrition actually is. The good news first, when an anti-inflammatory diet is done correctly, you will have meals that taste amazing and fill you up and help you to feel really, really satisfied. And if you do it right, you should never ever feel deprived. I actually like to say that if it doesn't taste good, you're doing it wrong.

So I want you to keep that in mind as we keep looking at anti-inflammatory nutrition. This approach to nutrition is a lot more than just healthy eating. You know, I used to think that I was a healthy eater and maybe you do too. You know, like I would eat salads every day and years ago I was eating really clean whole grain bread. I'd have oatmeal for breakfast, I ate eggs.

But the reality is that my body was trying to tell me something different because my health, it was really struggling.

If you've been in the podcast for a while, you may have heard my story before, but 10 plus years ago, I was really struggling with thyroid issues, weight gain. I could not lose weight to save my life. And I had nutritional deficiencies. I also had the worst brain fog, really sore joints. And honestly, I just could not lose weight no matter what I tried. So while I thought I was eating healthy,

My body was sending signals that I just ignored for a really long time. And this is where an anti-inflammatory diet really started changing the game for me.

An anti-inflammatory diet is designed to do two different things. So first, it's designed to lower inflammation and that happens by eating foods that support better gut health. Now we're going to talk about gut health in just a minute. So I want you to just put a pin in that and stick with me. The other goal with an anti-inflammatory diet is to eat foods that do not contribute to additional inflammation and

The way that you do this is by taking out highly inflammatory foods, like a lot of ultra processed foods and packaged foods.

So essentially you are going to eat more of the good stuff and you're going to eat less of the bad stuff, okay? So that's great, right? But what does that actually look like in your kitchen in real life?

I want you to be eating a diet that is full of nutrient dense foods like salmon, chicken, leafy greens, fresh berries, olives, avocados, nuts, and my favorite, dark chocolate. Three cheers for that, right? Like dark chocolate is anti-inflammatory. But as for foods that you should not eat, the things that you need to take out or that you don't want to contribute to additional inflammation, honestly, this is sometimes the harder part.

part of the diet because it really asks you to take out foods that cause inflammation like gluten and dairy, refined sugar, sometimes corn or soy, and definitely processed and ultra processed and all those packaged foods. So if you really want to see improvement in your health overall and in your weight loss, you should also say goodbye to alcohol, at least for a little bit.

because alcohol is incredibly inflammatory and toxic to your body. Okay, but before you say, know what, forget it, Ashley. I just want you to remember this way of eating is not about deprivation. I remind people all the time, I eat chocolate every day, every single day, but I just happen to find a chocolate that works well with an anti-inflammatory approach.

It's really about being more intentional with the food that you eat so that you can have energy and feel amazing every day. You are worth that. So to help you out, I've actually added a link in the show notes to a list of foods that you should eat and a list of foods that you should steer clear of. I think these resources are really gonna help you get started. So be sure to check those out.

Okay, so we've talked about the food part, but I keep saying this word inflammation. And maybe, just be honest with yourself, maybe you're wondering like, what the heck is that anyway? So in this context, I am talking about systemic inflammation. So for what I talk about in the podcast and what I teach in my programs, the majority of systemic inflammation comes from poor gut health.

So your microbiome is made up of this really delicate balance of good and bad bacteria. And it starts in your mouth and it goes all the way through to your intestines. You can kind of think of your gut microbiome like a rain forest where everything needs to be just in perfect balance and harmony.

Unfortunately, your gut health is compromised just by getting older, especially when you enter perimenopause, because when you lose estrogen, you automatically see an increase in inflammation. And then when you are juggling stress with your career and your family, know, your gut health can be compromised with being overweight. And especially if your body is fighting off other health conditions, you know, for me,

10 or so years ago, I had hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's and the inflammation was also contributing to nutrient deficiencies. So you might be wondering, like, how do I even know if I'm struggling with inflammation? And I think that is a really good question to ask. So believe it or not, your body is going to send up smoke signals to tell you if it's struggling, you just need to know what to look for.

So here are some of the common symptoms that I see in women that I work with. You have difficulty losing weight. You have brain fog. And it's like this brain fog of, you know, forgetting names or important dates like birthdays, or forgetting things in the middle of a meeting. You might have really low energy or your energy really dips throughout the day. Maybe you're losing hair. You have really dry skin and perhaps you're struggling with joint pain. So,

There can be a lot of other signals, but these are some of the more common ones and I think it's a really good place to start.

So if you struggle with some of these symptoms, cleaning up your gut health is going to be your first line of defense.

because with better gut health, you're going to start reducing inflammation in your body, which will automatically improve your health overall. Plus, if you're struggling with inflammation, you're probably not absorbing all of the nutrients in the food that you're eating. So if you can clean up your gut health, you're going to absorb more nutrients, which is automatically going to give you more energy and a healthy gut.

and less inflammation, it's just magical. It's going to help you feel calm and peaceful and it almost regulates your nervous system. So when your body is nourished and energetic and calm, you're really going to feel better from head to toe.

Okay, sounds great, Ashley, but it sounds like a lot, right? Like you're probably thinking, I don't know, this sounds really hard and I don't even know how I'd get started. So let's talk about that. The number one tip that I can give you when it comes to starting an anti-inflammatory diet is to start slow. In working with clients and in more than 10 years of my own personal experience, which has actually helped me to lose over 65 pounds,

I know that it is best to start slow because a slow start builds strong roots. Let me repeat that. A slow start builds strong roots. I get it. We live in this age of having everything instantly. And I know that you want things to happen very quickly and you want results and you're frustrated and you're tired of waiting for things to happen. But I promise you starting slow is going to be to your

benefit.

If you take the time to implement this new way of eating very slowly and methodically, you will establish habits that work with your anti-inflammatory diet, and it's going to make it easy to keep these habits for life.

When I work with my clients and students, I like to talk about the levels of anti-inflammatory nutrition. And so this might help you when you're trying to think about like, how do I start slow and how do I work my way up? level one, there's three levels. So level one is when you decide to go gluten-free. And most women do this because you're just trying to be more aware about what you're eating and that you're feeling frustrated with those signals that

you know, that your body is giving you, you're just so frustrated. So you're trying to do something, you're trying to put together that nutrition piece. So you decide to go gluten free. Then you can get to level two where you've kind of figured out going gluten free, but you're still encountering some of those smoke signals that your body's giving you those symptoms. And so you think about going dairy free and definitely backing down on the number of processed foods that you're eating.

you're at this point, you're reading a lot of labels and you're just more aware of what's in your food and you're really learning and having a better understanding of ingredients and how they impact your body specifically. You know, the thing about an anti-inflammatory diet is that one person can eat tomatoes, for example, and another person like me, I can't eat tomatoes. So it's really important at

this level, level two, that you start to understand how certain foods are really impacting you.

By the time you get to level three, you are at this point eating almost entirely a whole foods diet. You're eating foods that are just super nutrient dense and you don't have foods that include gums or thickeners or weird preservatives. And at this point, you're also really watching your added sugars. And probably by level three, you've either stopped drinking or you've definitely paired way back.

But like I said, the trick is that you have to start at level one and then you slowly work your way into making anti-inflammatory.

But like I said, you have to start with level one and then you slowly work your way into making anti-inflammatory nutrition a lifestyle. You don't want this to be a diet the way we talk about diets. You want this to be the way that you eat for life. It's just going to become who you are. Now, along with starting slow, it's important that you only choose approaches and recipes that are sustainable.

I mean like really truly sustainable for you and your family and exactly what your life looks like. You know, raise your hand if you've tried one of those like short term container diets like a Whole30 or something like that. And maybe at the end of that 30 days you actually felt really good, but you stopped eating that way after it was over. And when you look back, you're like, ⁓ my gosh, it was so hard to keep up with the meal plan because

you needed to eat one way and your family or the other people in your household had to eat a different way. And you know, when it came to eating out like birthday parties and barbecues, it was too hard because by the time you got there, you didn't know what the options were going to be. You didn't know what you could eat. So you just kind of fell back into the way that you were eating before. And even though you didn't feel good eating that way, just didn't know what else to do. So these short-term diets,

really show that if the approach doesn't fit into your real life, like your everyday schedule and all of the obligations you have, you're not gonna be able to stick with it. So it is essential that you start slow and fight the right plan that works for you.

Okay, so now that you know really well what an anti-inflammatory diet is and how it can help you, let's talk about one last thing. So many women ask me, can I lose weight with an anti-inflammatory diet? As you've learned, an anti-inflammatory diet isn't necessarily designed specifically for weight loss, but it is almost always a really nice side effect.

When you remove those processed and unhealthy or inflammatory foods and you start eating more fruits and veggies, you're naturally going to lose some weight. Plus, by supporting your body with foods that fight inflammation like berries and leafy greens, and of course, dark chocolate, yay, you are going to have less inflammation overall, less bloating, and less water retention. And with all of that,

you're going to lose weight. Then after eating an anti-inflammatory diet for a while, you are going to find that your body craves whole nutrient dense foods. It's weird, but it does happen. So you're going to have fewer cravings for sugar and processed foods, and you're going to have more energy because your body, your healthy gut microbiome is actually absorbing and getting the nutrients it needs.

Yes, the answer is yes. You actually can lose weight and get healthy from the inside out when you eat an anti-inflammatory diet as long as you're starting slow and working your way into making this way of eating a lifestyle.

Okay, so hopefully you're like, yes, Ashley, I am sold, but what is the best way to put all this together? And that is another great question. So I have you totally covered with this. I want you to look in the show notes. So I have put a link there for a free 21 day meal plan that is designed for women who are really trying to get healthy and to lose some weight, but who are also really busy feeding their family and living their lives.

The recipes in this guide are all anti-inflammatory and each one includes a family-friendly version of the same recipes. Because remember, I told you, if you need...

because remember how I told you that you need an approach that works if you're going to stick to this way of eating as a lifestyle? So this guide helps you start with that in mind. This meal plan absolutely works because you're making one meal every night and just having small modifications of that meal for you or your family. And I want you to think like grilled flank steak, chimichurri bowls, spicy chicken ramen.

Strawberry chia pudding. Like that all sounds really good, right? You get recipes also.

Plus in this guide, get recipes for breakfast and lunch and a shopping list for anti-inflammatory snacks that you can buy at the store, which is gonna save you tons of time and effort. Honestly, it is really the perfect plan to keep you full and satisfied while still feeding your family meals that they are going to love, which if you can get on board with a plan like that, it is going to help you stay on track.

So be sure to grab that 21 day anti-inflammatory meal plan in the show notes.

learning how to eat an anti-inflammatory diet, it can take some time, but it is so worth it. You are so worth it. Thankfully, restaurants and grocery stores have gotten a lot better about offering a wider variety of foods and you can find lots of anti-inflammatory options or it's easy enough to make substitutions. But if you start to feel a little bit overwhelmed at making a change to eating this way, ⁓

I want you to remember

you found this podcast, the family fork, or maybe you found my website or some of my resources because you were already searching for ways to get healthier and to feel better. You're exhausted all the time and you have this terrible brain fog and you can't lose weight no matter what you try. So while an anti-inflammatory diet is an adjustment, I guarantee you I have made it extremely approachable for you.

and your family. So do it because you want to feel better. Do it because you deserve to feel better. And with a little bit of effort, soon enough, you are going to lose weight, have more energy, and by that point, you'll probably wonder why you didn't start sooner. I have loved spending time with you for this episode. I hope it's been really valuable for you.

Make sure to grab that 21 day meal planner in the show notes. And I cannot wait to see you back here next week for another episode of The Family Fork